The Functional Path is a path that had been traveled many times before but had fallen out of use in favor of smoother paved roads that promised faster and easier results. Seeking to follow and better define the functional path is a continuing journey, fortunately it is a journey that many have traveled before. Functional Path training is getting back to the basics of movement. It is learning to tune into the body and it’s inherent wisdom to produce rhythmic flowing movement.

2/4/08

Super Bowl

Last night I made the mistake of watching the Super Bowl from start to finish, I had not done that for at least 25 years. Now I know why, somewhere stuck strategically between ads there was a game. If there was ever any doubt about professional sport as entertainment not sport this settled it for me. I will take soccer or rugby any day – nonstop action. One ad did catch me eye though, it was for the NFL fit kids. Quite ironic. The NFL needs to take a close look at its own fitness and health standards before passing that onto kids. I also learned that you need to eat bananas at half time to prevent cramping. Just a small tidbit of high tech sports medicine information from the NFL. I could not help but reflect the Rugby matches that I saw in Australia where the majority of the players played 80 minutes, never saw cramping. It would be fun to watch some of these NFL guys play 60 minutes. Randy Moss ran 75 yards on a pass pattern near the end of the game and he was gassed. They would need tons of bananas.

1 Comments:

Hey Coach- Please don't give up on American football. We who get it appreciate your input. You bring up an interesting topic in the cramping issue. I'll agree it's more than hydration & potassium. There are probably neurological/circulatory/fitness issues involved. What's wrong with applying some Aussie or soccer strategies to the game? True, the status quo will probably reject it. But every year I manage to convert a few kids to the Gambetta method through some back door diplomacy. You would be surprised how contagious that can be.

About Me

Vern is currently is the Director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems. He has been the a conditioning coach for several teams in Major League Soccer as well as the conditioning consultant to the US Men’s World Cup Soccer team. Vern is the former Director of Conditioning for the Chicago White Sox and Director of Athletic Development for the New York Mets. Vern is recognized internationally as an expert in training and conditioning for sport having worked with world class athletes and teams in a wide variety of sports. He is a popular speaker and writer on conditioning topics having lectured and conducted clinics in Canada, Japan, Australia and Europe. Vern's coaching experience spans 36 years at all levels of competition.
Vern has authored six books and over one hundred articles related to coaching and sport performance in a variety of sports. He received his BA from Fresno State University and his teaching credential with a coaching minor from University of California Santa Barbara. Vern obtained his MA in Education with an emphasis in physical education from Stanford University.